Light Jam Swiss Roll

📝 Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 100 g caster sugar + 1 tbsp (for the tea towel)
• 100 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt
• 250 g strawberry jam
• 1 tbsp hot water

🍴 Utensils

• Electric hand mixer
• Large mixing bowl
• Baking tray and baking paper
• Flexible spatula
• Sieve or fine strainer
• Clean tea towel

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional). Line a baking tray of about 30 × 40 cm with baking paper. Dampen a clean tea towel, wring it out well, spread it on the work surface and sprinkle it with the spoonful of sugar.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the whole eggs with 100 g sugar, the vanilla and the salt using an electric mixer on top speed for 8 to 10 min, until the mixture has tripled in volume, is very pale and falls in a thick ribbon.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder over the bowl in 3 goes and gently fold them in with a spatula, lifting the batter from the bottom up and turning the bowl. Don't whisk: the air bubbles are what make the sponge so soft.
4. Pour the batter onto the tray and quickly spread it with a spatula into an even rectangle about 1 cm thick, not forgetting the corners. Put it straight in the oven, on the middle shelf.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 min, until the sponge is golden and springs back when pressed with a fingertip. Don't overbake: an overcooked sponge cracks when rolled.
6. As soon as it comes out of the oven, turn the sponge out onto the sugared tea towel, carefully peel off the baking paper, then immediately roll it up with the tea towel, starting from a long side. Leave it to cool like this for 15 min: it will remember its shape.
7. Meanwhile, loosen the jam with the hot water in a bowl, stirring until smooth and easy to spread.
8. Gently unroll the sponge, spread the jam in an even layer leaving a 1 cm border, then roll it up again tightly, without the tea towel. Place it on a dish, seam side down.
9. Trim both ends for a neat finish, then slice the roll into 8 pieces with a serrated knife. Enjoy it the same day or keep it for 2 days in the fridge, wrapped in cling film.